London - Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said he will fight to keep his best players in the close season amid reports that he could face a battle to hang on to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Lloris has been linked by British media with a switch to Manchester United as a potential replacement for David De Gea, who has been touted for a possible return to Spain with Real Madrid.
Although Pochettino dismissed that idea as mere speculation, he said he was prepared to scrap to keep the spine of his team in tact.
"I do not want to speak about rumours, about Hugo or other players," the Argentine told reporters on Friday.
"We are focused and we try to finish the season as best as possible. That rumour is impossible to stop but we need to accept it is part of the game.
"In football it is difficult. You never know. If you sign the contract you never have the guarantee. I have a contract and so do a lot of managers but there is never guarantee.
"But it is true if I want some player to stay with us I fight a lot."
There are likely to be numerous departures at White Hart Lane with media reports suggesting Younes Kaboul, Vlad Chiriches, Etienne Capoue and Emmanuel Adebayor could all exit.
Pochettino, however, played down the possibility of wholesale changes.
"I don't know if we need big changes," he added.
"Always you can improve your squad and your game. We need to work hard to try to improve our game and our squad.
"You need to take the right decisions. It is not only if you pay money, you assure that you achieve something. It is not about money but about the right profile and the right position to build the right squad. This is our job now."
Tottenham, who are sixth in the Premier League and level on 58 points with Liverpool in fifth, host Manchester City on Sunday with Europa League qualification their only realistic target heading into the season's finale.
They trail Manchester United in fourth, the final Champions League qualifying spot, by seven points, with just four games left.
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